Hit with the reality of how close Dessa is to dying, I close my eyes and attempt to contact Loki. Hello? I try. We've got a mind link, so he should be able to hear me. But then I remember his haggard appearance, and my heart drops. If he can.

I shake away my morbid thoughts and try again. Loki? If you're there, I'm being threated by a giant snake could really appreciate some help right now as it seems to want to talk to you. There. That wasn't too rambling I hope. I look up and meet the snake's angry gaze. "I did it." I say, trying to force some confidence into my voice. I surely don't feel confident now. But I have to try to get to Dessa.

The snake sneers at me. "I don't believe you." Its tongue flicks in and out of its mouth, once, then twice, drawing my eyes to it. I force my eyes away and instead look back into the snake's gaze. "Midgardians are born liars, I don't see why you're any different."

"Because she is my Midgardian, you fool." A voice says behind me. The snake immediately looks past me, and recognition flashes in its eyes.

I try to whirl around. I recognize that voice, the one that's always holding a trace of amusement. The one that makes my heart stutter whenever I hear it. Loki. However, the coil surrounding me does not loosen. I squirm against it. "Will you let me go!?" The snake ignores me, instead focusing on Loki, who I still cannot see yet his voice is still there, sending shivers down my spine. What did he mean exactly, calling me his Midgardian? And why do I recognize the subtle patterns of his voice? That's kind of creepy, if you ask me.

"Don't let her turn around." I hear him say, probably to the snake, and then I'm confused. Why can't I turn around? What about Dessa!? As if answering my thoughts, or more likely he actually is, Loki replies, "It wouldn't be wise for her to see this."

See what? Now I'm really confused. I hear a strange zapping noise, then coughing. "Dessa!" I exclaim, trying to turn around again. I don't care what he says; that is my best friend, and that coughing sounds like her. There is more coughing in response.

"Don't worry..." I hear Loki murmur. "You swallowed quite a bit of water, you just need to get it all out."

"Dessa!" I Describe another pillow and hit the snake with it. I'm getting good with these pillows. The snake doesn't budge, it doesn't do anything except glare at me.

"Will you please stop that?" It asks, clearly annoyed.

"No." I respond, hitting it with the pillow again. And again, down with each word. "I. Will. Not. Stop. Until. I. See. My. Friend!" To my surprise, on the last word I am turned around, still holding the pillow in midair.

What I see fills me with happiness. Dessa is no longer lying on the ground and her skin is a flushed healthy color. She is sitting upright, thanking Loki repeatedly, who is crouched next to her. As soon as the snake releases me I drop the pillow and sprint towards her, landing painfully on my knees beside her.

I hug her tightly. "Dessa!" I am crying now, and I know why. It is not out of happiness or sadness, but out of regret. This is what I had forgotten. This is what I was feeling guilty about. If Dessa was dead right now, it'd be all my fault. It almost happened. And Loki... he saved her. I let go of Dessa and look over at him. He looks as exhausted as ever, but he is smiling. I smile back at him, my recent tears still in my eyes. "Thank you."

His gaze meets mine, and I am not surprised to see a small trace of anger there. My smile fades, and I try to look solemn. I have a lot of explaining to do.

He nods at me, acknowledging my thought. "As do I." He says. "But first.." He leans towards me, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "It is my turn to pass out." Then he promptly falls backwards onto the ground, and passes out.

"Loki!" I exclaim, scrambling around Dessa to get to him. His eyes are closed, and he even managed to fold his hands together before he passed out, leaving him to look almost peaceful.

"Oh don't worry about that he'll be fine." A familiar voice hisses behind me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dessa look over and jump in fright. I turn around, gritting my teeth. "Don't worry Dessa." I say. "You need to rest." I eye the snake warily, who has now risen up to its full height, nearly 30 feet high. "I got this."

The snake laughs, a dry, raspy cough. "You're very funny, Midgardian. You would not believe how many idiots such as yourself have had that exact phrase as their last words."

I narrow my eyes up at it. "And how would you know that?"

It laughs again, then brings its head down suddenly, making its eyes level with my own. It grins sardonically, in the only way that snakes can. "Why I killed them, of course. What else do you expect?"

I'm taken aback, but I manage not to show it. I shake my head. "I never excepted this." I mutter, thinking back to everything that's happened: finding out I had magic, accidentally removing all the pillows from Asgard, somehow teleporting to the Forbidden Art Gallery, and dropping from the sky on a floating rock. It's been crazy.

I focus back on the snake, asking the question that's been on my mind ever since I woke up: "Why aren't we dead?"

The snake narrows its eyes, glaring at me. "Why aren't you dead? Because you're trespassing, that's why." It answers angrily.

"What?" I ask, now confused. Trespassing?

"Trespassing." The snake repeats, spitting the word out. "This is the one place on Asgard where I can abide, where I can have some privacy. And you are trespassing."

I narrow my eyes at it, feeling defiant all of a sudden. If we are trespassing, then so be it. It's the only way we're alive right now. "And what are you going to do about it?"

It hisses angrily. "Nothing. I cannot." It glances over at Loki's prone form. "Not without angering my father."

"Your father?" I repeat, taken aback. I look to Dessa for support, but she is focused entirely on the snake, fear in her eyes. Wait.. Loki has six kids, four of which are beasts: Fenrir, Hela, Sleipnir, and... the Midgardian Serpent. But Loki had said that he was on Midgard... could this be him?

I look up at the snake, now noticing the green in his eyes is the exact same color as Loki's. "Are you the Midgardian Serpent?" I ask.

He looks down at me with skepticism in his eyes, then he smirks. "Took you long enough."